Smart Tourism Market Report 2025

The smart tourism market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $22.3 billion in 2024 to $25.08 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.4%. The growth during the historic period is due to the rising use of social media for travel planning, increased dependence on online travel agencies and booking platforms, greater availability of open data for tourism development, and a stronger focus on Wi-Fi connectivity at public tourist locations.

The smart tourism market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $39.56 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1%. The expected growth during the forecast period is driven by the expanded deployment of 5G to enhance smart tourism services, increased use of biometric and facial recognition technologies in tourism, growing development of AI-powered language translation tools, and rising investments in blockchain for secure travel transactions. Key trends anticipated in this period include progress in digital twin technology for real-time tourism simulations, advanced wearable devices that improve tourist experiences, development of autonomous transport options for travelers, innovations in multilingual smart assistant systems, and advancements in eco-friendly smart accommodations.

The increasing penetration of smartphones is expected to drive the growth of the smart tourism market in the future. Smartphone penetration measures the proportion of people within a specific region or market who own or regularly use a smartphone. The rise in smartphone penetration is attributed to greater internet access, affordable devices, and rising demand for mobile digital services. This trend facilitates smart tourism by providing easy access to digital travel services, simplifying trip planning and navigation for tourists. It also boosts engagement through mobile applications, personalized suggestions, and real-time updates, thereby improving overall travel convenience and experience. For example, in October 2023, the GSM Association, a UK-based non-profit, reported that nearly 4.3 billion people (53% of the global population) were using smartphones to access the internet. Additionally, around 80% of mobile internet users were on 4G or 5G smartphones, marking an increase of 330 million users from 2022 to 2023. Consequently, the rise in smartphone penetration is propelling the expansion of the smart tourism market.

Leading companies in the smart tourism sector are focusing on creating advanced technological solutions, such as blockchain-based platforms, to provide tourists with secure, transparent, and seamless travel experiences. Blockchain platforms utilize a decentralized ledger system to securely store and manage data or transactions in a transparent and tamper-resistant way, allowing trustless interactions among users. For instance, in January 2023, Telefónica Tech Inc., a Spanish digital transformation firm, partnered with unBlock, a Spanish digital innovation company, to launch the first Web3 Smart Tourism platform. This decentralized, technology-driven platform aims to improve the tourism ecosystem by integrating blockchain and Web3 technologies, delivering enhanced transparency, security, and personalization in travel experiences. It supports tourism stakeholders, including hotels, travel agencies, and local businesses, by enabling tokenized loyalty programs, boosting customer engagement, and streamlining digital interactions, thereby promoting smarter and more sustainable tourism.

In December 2024, EHang Holdings Limited, a Chinese aircraft manufacturer, joined forces with Zhejiang Sunriver Culture and Tourism Co. Ltd. to promote urban air mobility and smart tourism solutions. This collaboration seeks to create an innovative smart tourism model at scenic locations using autonomous aerial vehicles, enriching visitor experiences and establishing a benchmark for combining technology with cultural tourism in China. Zhejiang Sunriver Culture and Tourism Co. Ltd. is a Chinese company specializing in tourism and cultural technology that supports smart tourism initiatives.

Major players in the smart tourism market are TUI AG, Booking Holdings Inc., Expedia Group Inc., Airbnb Inc., Amadeus IT Group SA, Sabre Corporation, TripAdvisor Inc., Telefonica Tech SA, MakeMyTrip Ltd., Nearvana Inc., Bismart S.A., The TraveloPro Inc., Traveltek Group Ltd., Stayflexi Inc., Moca Technologies LLC, Cubic Corporation, LamasaTech Ltd., Mabrian Technologies SL, Imvizar Limited, Smartvel S.A., and FlippARGo Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

North America was the largest region in the smart tourism market in 2024. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in smart tourism report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the smart tourism market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The sudden escalation of U.S. tariffs and the consequent trade frictions in spring 2025 are severely impacting the hospitality sector, particularly in the areas of imported food and beverage supplies, furniture, electronics, and kitchen equipment. Hotels and restaurants are facing higher costs for imported wine, seafood, coffee machines, linens, and smart appliances, many of which have limited domestic alternatives. Budget and mid-scale hospitality providers, operating on tight margins, are especially vulnerable, with some reducing service offerings or delaying renovations to manage expenses. Event venues and catering services are also experiencing disruptions due to increased costs of imported décor, lighting, and AV equipment. In response, the industry is turning to local sourcing for food and furnishings, renegotiating supplier contracts, and advocating for tariff relief on key hospitality imports.

Smart tourism is a technology-driven method in travel and tourism that uses digital tools, data analytics, and connected devices to enhance tourists’ experiences, improve resource management, and promote sustainable, efficient operations for destinations and service providers. It aims to deliver personalized, convenient, and seamless travel experiences while boosting the competitiveness of tourism businesses and cities.

The key elements of smart tourism include hardware, software, and services. Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer or electronic device that enable its functions. This includes various applications such as travel planning, tour guiding, hotel management, and navigation, supported by technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), big data analytics, blockchain, cloud computing, and geospatial technologies. Smart tourism is applied in smart travel apps, GPS navigation systems, AR tour guides, and smart hotel systems, serving end-users such as travel agencies, transportation providers, hospitality sectors, and more.

The smart tourism market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides smart tourism market statistics, including smart tourism industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a smart tourism market share, detailed smart tourism market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the smart tourism industry. This smart tourism market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The smart tourism market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as smart booking and reservations, real-time information services, and digital payment solutions. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The smart tourism market also includes sales of smart travel apps, smart transportation solutions, and tourist analytics platforms. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values; that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

This product will be delivered within 3-5 business days.